By Zephyria 
“…Jun, …Seong Hae-jun!”
A voice calling my name woke me from a light sleep. My head felt dizzy. I opened my eyes blearily to see a classmate looking down at me with wide-open eyes.
“Uh… cough, cough… Why?”
My voice was hoarse, and I coughed.
I wasn’t particularly close with my classmates. Was this classmate sent by our homeroom teacher to check on me? Or was it time for a class-wide event like tug-of-war?
But all my predictions were wrong. The classmate who called me simply relayed a message that a third-year Sunbae wanted to see me in front of the gym teacher’s office, then dashed out of the infirmary. I was left alone.
After waking me up, all they had to say was that a third-year was looking for me.
Why would a third-year need to see me…?
I sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, put on my indoor shoes, and shuffled out of the infirmary.
Why were they looking for me? But since it was a message from a classmate I knew, it didn’t seem like a lie or a trap to lure out the Four Heavenly Kings. Then I realized.
The fact that I’m even considering the possibility of it being a trap means I’m not normal either.
Anyway, with students running up to me for autographs every time I walked down the hall, shouting about the Four Heavenly Kings, who cared if someone wanted to see me? I felt a sense of complacency, thinking it would be fine within the school grounds.
I headed to the gym teacher’s office, located right next to the infirmary, as the classmate had told me. Near the announcement board outside the office, a female student wearing our school’s gym uniform stood looking around anxiously.
“Ah. You’re here.”
“You asked to see me.”
“Here. I’m leaving now.”
Like a spy, the Sunbae, who kept glancing around nervously, pressed a note into my hand and darted away like a squirrel. It was over in the blink of an eye. I was dumbfounded.
The note in my hand was the only solid proof of the bizarre incident that had just occurred. I could feel how tense I had been holding it; the note, which should have been dry, felt slightly damp.
I unfolded the crumpled note. The moment I read the contents on the small piece of paper, smaller than my palm, my brow furrowed.
“Tomorrow, after school, XX Park back gate. Confirm and burn. – One who knows the truth here.”
Anyone could tell Ban Seo-yi sent this note.
I stared at it for a long time, dumbfounded. Did it really need to be this secretive?
But recalling the Four Heavenly Kings’ reactions when they saw Do Yun-hyeok, and Jeon Jae-hyung’s talk of national reach, large-scale operations, alliances, and gang fights earlier, I understood. I didn’t know, but they must have their own power struggles. So much so that they couldn’t just meet someone.
Still, I was glad. I had already decided to find Ban Seo-yi myself, and the contact came at just the right time.
There must be a reason Ban Seo-yi secretly summoned me in such a roundabout way, and I didn’t want to get involved in whatever “X-whatever-Y-whatever-chronicle” they were talking about, so meeting as instructed on the note seemed like the best course of action.
More importantly, “Confirm and burn”?
Does this feel like some resistance bunker operation?
While diligently following instructions, I grumbled about the last sentence being absurd. However, since I had no fire, I couldn’t burn it. I tore it into pieces and flushed them down the drain, erasing it from existence.
Objectively, meeting Ban Seo-yi might have been a reckless choice. If Ban Seo-yi had a slightly malicious intent, they could do anything to me. On the surface, Do Yun-hyeok and the Four Heavenly Kings weren’t on good terms, and Ban Seo-yi was known to be close to Do Yun-hyeok. I hadn’t forgotten that.
But then again, I was just meeting a high school student. Did I really need to ponder whether it was a trap or not? The fact that I had to consider such thoughts was ridiculous.
How long do I have to suffer from these teen romance novel settings?
Suddenly, I heard the sound of gunshots and people cheering from the sports field far away. Come to think of it, I had skipped lunch and slept through the day. A pang of hunger hit me. Judging by the cheers, it seemed the final event of the sports festival, the relay race, had already begun.
The relay race…
This was the event Lee Beom had asked me to watch if possible.
I could have ignored Lee Beom’s request, but given his personality, why would he ask me to come watch? It bothered me. Still, I didn’t want to mingle with the crowd under the scorching sun just to see Lee Beom.
Reluctantly, I moved my feet and headed to the hallway with a good view of the field.
“Class 1, fighting-!”
“Class 3, win!”
“Waaaaah!”
“Run, run, run!”
“Send them to Andromeda!!”
I saw the runners, like a herd of angry rhinos, sprinting along the white chalk lines, holding gaudy fluorescent plastic batons. They weren’t just representative athletes; they were all incredibly fast, kicking up dust.
I rested my chin on the windowsill and watched them quietly. Students sitting around the track were cheering at the top of their lungs. The atmosphere was no less intense than the World Cup.
“Kyaaaak- It’s Seong Hae-min-!”
“We love you, Four Heavenly Kings!”
“So cool, Seong Hae-min!! Sexy!!”
Soon, the final runners received the baton and started running. But then, a familiar name appeared in the cheering section.
Seong Hae-min?
I immediately placed my hand on my forehead and examined the faces of the runners. Only then did the runners look like people, not batons. It wasn’t difficult to recognize Seong Hae-min among them. For a ridiculous reason, his handsomeness was visible even from afar.
So this was why Lee Beom had asked me to watch the relay race. Because Seong Hae-min was running, and it was the final event.
Seong Hae-min, holding the fluorescent pink baton as the final runner, was incredibly fast. He overtook two runners ahead of him and ultimately crossed the finish line in first place, achieving a stunning comeback victory.
The moment Seong Hae-min broke the finish line, the entire field erupted in cheers.
“Waaaaah-!”
The cheers were so loud they seemed to reach the sky. While some students were disappointed by the comeback, far more were admiring and cheering for Seong Hae-min, who was like an idol.
“You’re good.”
I stared blankly at Seong Hae-min, who was smiling broadly, for a moment, then my eyes met a tall person standing next to him. Even from a distance where people looked like specks, I could recognize him instantly.
Jet-black hair. Without a second thought, it was Lee Beom.
Lee Beom seemed to be telling Seong Hae-min something, and then Seong Hae-min, who was looking around, looked directly at my location.
Recognizing me, Seong Hae-min waved his arm widely. The fluorescent baton in his hand swung in an arc. I couldn’t ignore his effort and waved back.
Min Si-hu, who noticed me belatedly, flinched. Jeon Jae-hyung held up a Bboongyi doll. Several students nearby turned their heads, following the gaze of the Four Heavenly Kings, and I saw them cover their mouths when they spotted me. Realizing my mistake, I quickly left the hallway.
After the sports festival ended, I went to the hospital under Seong Hae-min’s lead. The reason given was his lingering concern about me being hit by a soccer ball. I had planned to visit leisurely the next day, but Seong Hae-min’s worry and haste led to a same-day visit.
The doctor diagnosed it as a very mild concussion.
“Are you alright?”
“Of course.”
As we left after being advised to be careful with my movements and rest well, Seong Hae-min and I argued about whether it was a big deal or not.
“See? It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal? Even a mild concussion is still a concussion. I don’t know how that ball flew towards you. If I find out who kicked it……”
“What would you do if you found out? It was an accident anyway.”
“But Hae-jun, you got hurt.”
“Hae-min.”
“Yes?”
“From what I see, you’re the one who needs to be careful.”
“Me?”
Seong Hae-min’s eyes widened at my casual remark.
“It was just an accident for me. But you’re getting caught up in incidents. I mean, stop fighting, right?”
“Hae-jun, that’s….”
“You promised not to ride your motorcycle anymore. Is this not okay?”
“But this is….”
Seong Hae-min hesitated, showing a troubled expression. It wasn’t a common sight.
“It’s unavoidable….”
“What you’re saying is exactly what Jeon Jae-hyung says.”
“What did you talk about with Jae-hyung?”
“Never mind. Let’s just go home.”
“Hae-jun.”
Actually, I could tell from the way he called my name that Seong Hae-min had no intention of quitting the Four Heavenly Kings or fighting.
He had nodded with overwhelming emotion when I told him not to ride his motorcycle or to not blindly believe Do Yun-hyeok’s words. So why couldn’t he compromise when it came to fighting?
…Is it because this is a novel?
Really?
I let out a hollow laugh. As expected, there were areas the protagonist couldn’t change. Like the plot developments scheduled for the future…
It felt like bile was rising, so I forced down a gulp of saliva. It was ridiculous that I was upset about not getting a mere verbal promise with no guarantee. Such trust was easily broken anyway.
I stopped looking at Seong Hae-min and headed straight home. Seong Hae-min followed me, flustered and unsure of what to do.
The next day, I went to the place Ban Seo-yi mentioned, right on time. I had lied to Seong Hae-min, saying I was going to buy workbooks in the city and then to a study room, so he wouldn’t suspect anything.
“You’re here.”
Ban Seo-yi was already waiting for me. Standing in an alley a little distance from the back gate, Ban Seo-yi beckoned me over when he saw me.
As I approached, Ban Seo-yi flicked away the cigarette butt he was holding. The entire process, from resting one arm on the other to crushing the butt with his heel, was done with a practiced air, clearly not his first time.
Hmm, just like Do Yun-hyeok’s friend.